August 2010
Hello
As I write I find myself thinking about my dad.
I would love you to have met him. He was a larger than life character, a devotee of books and full of knowledge about most things. Children wanted to be with him; he made people laugh and when he sang with his deep bass voice you would either join in or find yourself smiling.
He could easily…
have been a food critic but didn’t really like food, smothering his greens with sugar and eating as little as possible apart from lemon puff biscuits. He would wax lyrically on the joy of a garden but didn’t really like gardening and he was famous in the house for various phrases – “coffee missus, I’m just going for a lie down, I’m off to your grandmothers to grease the step”. There were also times when….he didn’t know how to express his love and affection but all his children knew he was proud of them.
My dad was a Christian, I baptised him when he was in his late 60’s and he died at the age of 77 in 2005. So do I have regrets as I think of him this morning?
I suppose I would have loved him to be at our son Thomas’s wedding this Saturday 24th July. He would have sat there, beaming, the centre of attention, full of pride and gratitude for Gods blessing on his family. He would have told of the many trips out with Thomas and how they always returned with a new addition to Tom’s “Thomas the tank engine collection” or a new Macdonald’s toy.
I suppose I would have loved him to see Samuel studying at University and exceeding all people’s expectations. He would have been the proudest Grandad on earth and would have reminded us “I always knew Samuel would do something great with his life”.
I suppose I would have loved him to see what God is doing in our church and the amazing people that we have met in Leicester that have enriched our lives. He would have sat among you and told you stories about how he filled a post box with horse manure, shot his brother in the knee with an air rifle and how he always loved his wife.
And I suppose from time to time I would love to talk to him about my life and discuss some of the joys and challenges I face and to tell him how grateful I was and am for the investment he and mum made in my life to help me become the man I am today.
And then I remember sitting in a hospital room, holding his hand as we expressed our love to one another and the privilege of preaching the gospel at his funeral and in my heart I am grateful for my dad. The sadness of loss is overcome by memories of gratitude.
And I write this because it’s easy to miss the one life we have and not make our mark on life the way my dad did. We blink and 30 years have passed and we are still just “might do people” rather than “are doing people”. It’s so important to make the most of the life Jesus has given us, it’s so important to be grateful for the blessings of our lives and not just the challenges we face, and it’s so important to tell those close to us we love and appreciate them.
I can get concerned that some of us could easily miss the chance we have to be a man or women of God and leave our mark in this life. My prayer for you is that you never allow the pursuit of things and success to distract you from fulfilling your God given potential.
The maker of the Universe, your spiritual Father, wants you to walk with him, encounter him and be changed by him. He wants you to know how much you are loved and to decide freely to love back with “all your heart, soul, mind and strength”. He wants you to be filled with the knowledge that your best days are ahead, he is with you and one day you will be with him and everything “will be alright”.
For Susan and I as we welcome the lovely Philippa into our family and celebrate their wedding, we are completely delighted. Thomas is someone we could not be more proud of and they will have a very exciting life. We are thrilled they will remain in Leicester for another year with Thomas as our youth leader before they go to University together in 2011. Susan and I are very blessed.
After a fantastic year we are deliberately allowing the end of July and August to be a time of relaxation and reflection. September will bring some very exciting new initiatives, and so August gives us time to stop and be thankful and to fix our eyes on Jesus. I believe for many of us Jesus wants us to “go to a quiet place and rest awhile”
TLC continues to be open through the week and pastorally if you need support or prayer let us know and there are people ready to stand with you. If you are in Leicester join us at Moat on Sunday mornings and stay strong.
Coming soon
Next Guest Service – Back To Church Sunday Sept 26th
Job Opportunity
Hand in Hand Pre School has an exciting opportunity for a Temporary Part Time assistant. Send your CV and children’s experience to denise.wardley@trinitylifechurch.org.uk
Thank you for the privilege of serving you
See you soon on a Sunday morning in July/August
David Hind